Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

White Hart #2

Red Palace

Rate this book
I am here when you run from me,
You cannot touch me, but I make you cold.
I am there in the faint of heart,
But rarely with the daring, and bold.

One by one the members of court fall, cursed into a deep sleep. Silence spreads through the castle, and only Mae Waylander stands.

To break the curse, Mae must face a formidable opponent. She is the only one with a chance to restore order to the Red Palace, but she is unprepared for the trials that await her. She is brave at heart, but is her bravery enough?

In this thrilling follow up to White Hart, Mae faces her toughest challenge yet. With temptation, fear, and evil in her path, can she complete her task? And what will she lose in doing so?

325 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2014

62 people are currently reading
670 people want to read

About the author

Sarah Dalton

72 books337 followers
Sarah grew up in the middle of nowhere in the countryside of Derbyshire and as a result has an over-active imagination. She has been an avid reader for most of her life, taking inspiration from the stories she read as a child, and the novels she devoured as an adult.

Sarah mainly writes speculative fiction for a Young Adult audience and has had pieces of short fiction published in the Medulla Literary Review, PANK magazine, Apex Magazine and the British Fantasy Society publication Dark Horizons. Her short story ‘Vampires Wear Chanel’ is featured in the Wyvern Publication Fangtales.

She is the author of the popular YA dystopia series 'Blemished' and the gothic novella 'My Daylight Monsters'. She is currently working on a YA Fantasy series titled 'White Hart'.

Follow Sarah on twitter @sarahdalton

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
118 (28%)
4 stars
144 (34%)
3 stars
124 (29%)
2 stars
23 (5%)
1 star
6 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
Profile Image for Gardavson.
1,137 reviews11 followers
January 25, 2018
A

Great read. Quite a bit more complexity in this book than the first, a little more depth, though I liked the simplicity in the first just as well. Lots of character growth. I liked the ending, but I felt Mae's disappointment.
Profile Image for Kerry.
550 reviews68 followers
September 4, 2019
The second book in the White Hart series is another adventure of magic, curses, bravery, danger, evil and life threatening challenges.
In a Sleeping Beauty type plot, the court fall into a cursed sleep. Leaving Mae alone facing a difficult quest to try and save the court as well as herself.
I didn’t enjoy it as much as Book one simply because a lot of the characters have fallen into a cursed sleep. It’s still a really good read though.
Profile Image for Kirstie Ellen.
887 reviews127 followers
August 26, 2016
3.5/5 stars

Initial Thoughts Upon Finishing
This was an awesome sequel to White Hart that was exciting and filled with trials and challenges. I did think that the first one just slightly outstripped this one purely because there were more characters involved but this was definitely a satisfying continuation of the series. I already have book three ready to go!



Red Palace
I was really pleased with this sequel to White Hart. There was no waiting about - we jumped straight back into the action where we left off in the previous book - which is the best kind of sequel, if you ask me. It’s wonderfully tricksy and takes you through a bunch of challenges that push the characters to their limits, just like in book one.


Just swattin' those challenges down like flies.

I enjoyed the internal struggle that all our characters appear to have faced - although perhaps “appreciated” might be a better word than “enjoyed” . . . In this book Mai discovers so many secrets that each member of the castle has and on top of that dives into her own secrets and troubles. It makes for a great self-discovery journey and an expanding of the mind as to understanding how others think and what they think of you.



Now, if you haven’t read White Hart, the rest of this review will contain SPOILERS for it - so off you pop! But on that note, definitely go and READ White Hart because it’s AMAZING!



The general consensus can be that I was really entertained by this book and I have once again immediately bought the next (and final!) instalment in the series. There were some things that I enjoyed more about book one but I thought the adventures we go through in this story were incredibly exciting and very clever.



Heart Pumping
Having left the last book with the ceremony going really quite wrong (#OopsEveryoneIsUnconscious) and Mai being stuck in this sort of time-locked state of being, it was certainly a heart-pumping mystery. She has to try and work out what went wrong and how to break this spell - but she keeps getting sucked into visions that reveal something about the other members of the castle. She’s struggling herself to work out where she fits into all this and she is SO CLEARLY head-over-heels for Cas - and he, her. But there’s no way that they can be together, *gets out mini violin*.



With the help of Allerton in ghost-like form (it’s complicated), Mai works her way through riddles and tries to defeat the Nix once again who has come back to haunt her. It’s all building up to a rather dramatic scene and the book had the perfect amount of gauntlet-style challenges in it to keep me happy. The fact that her ghost-y guardian can’t touch/help her certainly made everything more stressful because he can only stare at her and be like DUDE YOU’RE DYING, FIX YO’ SELF. Which is, understandably, frustrating (remind me not to voluntarily become a ghost).


That dramatic scene, though.

The Nix is such an annoying little pest and my brain fails to conjure up the mental image of what he looks like. I sort of imagine Mr. Waternoose from Monster's Inc. - all spidery and a bit more slimy. I just had to take some deep breaths whenever he decided to make an appearance, but the temptation to slap him over the head with a daisy was great. This was a very enjoyable read and I loved how many dark secrets this castle is harbouring in its walls (literally). It definitely has me seriously curious to know where things are headed next.


Me, when the Nix starts up his riddles.

Some Negatives
Of course, not quite everything was sunshine and daisies (every rose has its thorns, ey? Ey? No? Well, okay then, party pooper). Whilst overall I really enjoyed this, there were a couple of points that I wasn’t quite so keen on. Namely, the setting of this book is stagnant; the entire thing takes place in the castle which felt a bit like handing me a candy bar - then snatching it away and giving me celery, after the exciting forests of book one. Whilst this wasn’t bad in itself, it just left me really craving some outdoors adventure - the good news is that we are so totally going to get that in the next book.


When the book promises goodies to come.

Secondly, I think the pace was potentially, just fractionally, a bit slow. I’d’ve loved to have seen more things happen in the book (the ending was fine, though) but it just took a bit of time to get rolling. I think the beginning of the story could have successfully been jam-packed with more stuff and that would’ve made this 100% mind-blowing.



But those are minor things and quite literally the only “bad” things I have to say about this. Mostly, everything is spot on.

The Characters
These are quickly turning into some of the most complex characters that I’ve ever read. The way the book works, it leaves you with a vast knowledge of the mental situation of almost all the characters. This is a clever book for doing that considering the whole thing is just from the one perspective, it adds so many more layers to the story.


Mr Book, Sir, you are clever.

I really just enjoyed getting to know everyone better and definitely liked seeing Mai overcome mental barriers and blossom into the badass gal we all knew she could be. She seriously is very cool, I mean, stab wounds? Pssht, no problem. Mental confusion from someone infiltrating your mind? No worries, mate. Somebody give the girl a cookie.


Mai, full stop.



Summary
I am seriously excited to read book 3! I think we have a sure promise of wild adventure and complicated love stories ahead. I really am enjoying this series so much and I definitely recommend continuing the series!



Happy reading!
Profile Image for Tamara Hull.
100 reviews1 follower
June 12, 2017
Red Palace picks up where White Hart leaves off. The world building in White Hart is done and so Red Palace jumps straight into the action.

Casimir has returned home with his intended and there is once again hope for the future. Events, however, have been manipulated by a monster from the forest and Mae finds herself stuck inside a curse. Her struggle to break free comes at great sacrifice and the disorientation from being pulled from scene to scene and mind to mind adds to the sense of urgency for the reader.

Again this is a great book and I'm looking forward to reading the next in the series.
Profile Image for Michelle.
38 reviews3 followers
November 8, 2017
The second instalment in the White Hart series, the Red Palace wasn't quite as gripping as book one. I still found myself turning the page, eager to see what happens next, but the palace wasn't as easy for me to imagine as the Waerg Woods were in book one. Often I found myself re-reading sections to picture it more clearly. But, the storyline, again, was really interesting, and the character development was believable. Although, certain parts (no spoilers) seemed to resolve a little too easily for my liking.
208 reviews
November 10, 2017
Another decent installment, but still disconnected in the same way the first one was and the pacing was off. I don't know, it was alright, but not great.
Profile Image for Cindy Wise.
393 reviews1 follower
December 9, 2017
good. I like the way Mae was able to defeat the Nix...but lost something in the process. and now there is another adventure ...
288 reviews2 followers
August 2, 2020
Wonderful book. I enjoyed the story immensely. Magic, love. It's all there. Worth reading.
Profile Image for Nic.
121 reviews
February 11, 2025
Brilliant writing and plot! Original ideas found throughout. A very intriguing read that had me completely hooked to find out what happned next. =)
Profile Image for Kimmy Mcloughlin.
39 reviews3 followers
September 21, 2014
Yay, its finally here. I have been counting down the days until this book was available. The lovely Sarah Dalton contacted me asking if I would be interesting in reading and reviewing an arc copy of Red Palace. I almost bit her hand off at the opportunity lol.

For those of you who are new to the White Hart series, you can read my review of the first book: http://opinionatedcupcakes.blogspot.c.... This is one series you want to get your hands on!

The first book left us hanging with a major cliffhanger. It sucked having to wait, but it was so worth it. Immediately drawn back into Mae's world, we continue on her journey as craft-born. Mae has grown into a brave young woman, her life dramatically changed since we first met her and unfortunately for Mae, its just the tip of the iceberg. Her newest challenge is to face fear itself, supported by two great characters, Mae takes us on another epic adventure!

Red Palace is an amazing fantasy story full of magic, feels and much much more. Sarah Dalton has a gift in being able to pull her readers into the book and leave you addicted and wanting more. Again the ending of the second book.....why do you do this to me woman!?!?! lol I need the 3rd book like now!!!

So what are you waiting for, get this book added to your Goodreads shelf, spread the word to your fellow readers and go get it. This is an amazing series!

Feeling lucky? Head over to Goodreads and enter the competition for your chance to win a signed paperback. Good luck!

Congratulations to Sarah Dalton, may you have many future successes!

Kimmy
Opinionated Cupcakes
http://opinionatedcupcakes.blogspot.c...
Profile Image for Noshin Rahman.
106 reviews4 followers
July 12, 2016
Wow... This book was just wow.

I don't know how or when, but at some point in the series the author took a very simple adventure fantasy and twisted it into a deep, personal journey.

"'The thought of your friends facing their worst fears is more unpleasant to you than facing your own....'"


The entire book is all about Mae running around the Red Palace while everyone remains unconscious. That's right THE ENTIRE BOOK. Wait! Don't run away yet. Even though Mae only really interacts with three people for the majority of the novel, I wasn't bored for a single second.

When I started this series I went in with low expectations, really I just wanted a simple fantasy to get me out of my reading slump. The first novel, I didn't really believe that the characters had much depth to them, I still liked them (much more than the characters from the Grisha trilogy), but I thought they were just simple characters. Boy, did this book surprise me.

You know that pampered, thick-skulled prince? Not as oblivious or ignorant as you may have believed. Remember that mean girl Ellen? Turns out she had a VERY understandable reason for her behaviour (not that it excuses her attitude).

"'What lasts a lifetime but takes a moment?
What resurrects those who have gone?
What remains as a mirror image in the mind?
What is different for others but the same for you?'"


If this book has taught me anything, it's to be wary of our own perspective. Our own emotions can blind us from being able to read someone elses.

My only problem with this book is still the odd dialogue and writing style, but I feel as though the author has improved since the last book.
Profile Image for Melissa Veracruz.
Author 1 book32 followers
September 6, 2014
*I received an ARC of Red Palace free from the author in exchange for an honest review.*

"I need to know what it is to be craft-born."

Red Palace by Sarah Dalton is Book 2 of the White Hart series. Mae Waylander is stuck in a cursed palace accompanied only by the soul of a man she hates and doesn't trust. There are secrets to uncover and fears to overcome. Mae must do both to save her beloved prince and the entire kingdom.

And why is the creature from the Waerg Woods stalking her and what does it want?

Sarah has drawn me right back into the world of Mae Waylander and her adventures. Mae is so very believable! She's still grieving the loss of her father, she still carries the weight of secretly being the craft-born, and she's in love with her best friend.

Red Palace has all the elements of epic fantasy. Sarah didn't skimp on any of them and she didn't disappoint. There's a respectable serving of fight scenes, heaping helpings of magic, and a great supporting cast. Loved it.

Oh, how I hated that she left me hanging AGAIN. Not fair (repeats six times and stomps feet)! Waiting impatiently for Book 3 now. Because Cas and Mae have to get together and so very soon please. :-(
Profile Image for Denise Kawaii.
Author 15 books18 followers
September 16, 2015
Red Palace continues Mae's journey as she discovers the terrible weight of responsibility that comes from being craft born. It is a responsibility that she has long run from, but now she must face her fears and the fears of others if she is going to save the royal court.

Author Sarah Dalton does a wonderful job of propelling Mae's story forward despite the fact that much of Red Palace solely focuses on Mae and a terrible curse. I missed the varied interactions of the other characters throughout the book, and so didn't get as immersed in the story as I had in the first of this series, BUT I knew as I read that this second book was a much needed stepping stone in Mae's journey.

Without giving the story away, I will say that I came away from it with 4 out of 5 stars because I missed the depth of bravery and adventure that characters other than Mae showed in the previous book, even though I know that they had to be a little less rounded for this story.

All in all a great book, and a really wonderful series!
32 reviews1 follower
December 17, 2015
Sarah Dalton, someone once said: I greet you at the beginning of a great career. I send you only faith and gratitude for sharing your interior life and musings as well as entertaining stories. That is of course one of the secrets of good writing. Conversely be wary of tipping the scales too far. One can be pulled off the balanced path or even plunge, plummeting away from purposeful entertainment

Geese Louise this is frustrating and I do hate having my nose rubbed in the reality of being electronically retarded. So be it. Keep it light and loose my lady. Read Janet Evanovich. She is simple, straight forward and has written twenty or so books, all of which are best sellers. My point is that I think you are as good a writer except for a penchant towards being a bit too cerebral.in any case, I wish you good fortune.
Profile Image for A.M. Martin.
Author 12 books63 followers
January 24, 2016
4 out of 5 stars..

I LOST MY HAND.......

Well,this one is definitely different. While everyone in the castle is frozen in time by a curse caused by the Nix, young Mae gets sucked into their fears and the whirlwind mystery the Nix has set up for her.

She traverses the castle sometimes hiding from the Nix and other times hunting it. All the awhile she finds out dark secretes that resides in the castle. She learns more of how to control her craft-born powers while being pulled into other people's fears. Between that she solves castle mystery after mystery. Soon she learns how to break the curse that rules over the castle. Beating the fear of the others.

This book is full of mystery, action, and secrets. It was very different than what I thought would happen, but it was-is a good suspenseful read.

I would recommend reading this, course you should read book one White Hart first. :)
Profile Image for Darla.
327 reviews1 follower
March 7, 2016
this is such an awesome series i actually bought the complete set however i wan t review each book as well book two flows so well that the story continues without a break not many authors do this and i think it is a wonderful gift...in book one we see mae a craft born she is afraid to reveal her magic as she does not want to be forced in a marriage to the prince in book two we see she has fallen in love with the prince mae is afraid that the prince would never love her as he is to marry ellen the pretend craft born when the castle is under a spell mae discover she is the only one conscious so she has to destroy the nix she sees the others fears and learns sasha can be with her through this when mae destroys the nix a bad thing happens (sorry cant give away the spoiler) she saves the people in the castle
Profile Image for Meghan.
148 reviews
May 14, 2016
The style of this book is quite different from the first in the series. It is still enjoyable and the format works for the plot. It is more of a boon to move the entire series plot along rather than a story to stand on its own. It begins in media res and by the end, no actual time has passed. Technically, Mae gains so time after it is all over the to some magical forces but that is splitting hairs. I think the biggest difference between Red Palace and White Hart is that after the first book I immediately wanted and purchased the next one. This wasn't the case with Red Palace. I may still read the next one but I didn't feel driven to know what happens next as soon as possible.
Profile Image for Ceh131973.
554 reviews5 followers
January 10, 2015
[Sarah Dalton] continues the story of Mae, a craft born, in [Red Palace]. Mae and Cas have made it to the Red Palace but the struggles are far from over. At a ceremony a curse is put on the palace leaving Mae alone to fight, not only her own fears, but everyone's.

I really enjoyed the first book in the series [White Hart] but [Red Palace] takes it up a notch. You get to know the characters better, especially Mae. The maze that is the Red Palace with it puzzles seems like the type of place my imagination would take me. [Dalton] is creating another classic fantasy series. A must read!
Profile Image for Svetlana Dyachenko.
55 reviews
February 12, 2016
В продолжении "Белого оленя" Мей сражается с червяком-переростком, который наслал проклятие на Красный дворец и усыпил всех придворных, при этом, он насылает на них их страхи. Также этот червяк насылает страхи других на Мей, пытаясь ее сломать.
И так всю книгу..... Мей бегает по пустому дворцу пытаясь одолеть врага. Наш прекрасный принц Казимир выполняет роль спящей красавицы. Скучно, скучно, и еще раз , скучно.
Ах да, мне совершенно не понравился конец, зачем так делать... был бы у меня бумажный вариант, выкинула бы в окно.
На мой взгляд, эта часть абсолютно лишняя.
Profile Image for Liza.
89 reviews2 followers
January 28, 2016
The writing is definitely getting better as the story progresses and Mae's character is developing very blatantly. But I wish the author would be a bit more subtle with that and Mae's love interest.

I know we are in her head so everything is more pronounced but it seems really tiring to have her keep reminding herself that she is strong and capable and not crippled by her love.

Or maybe it's all just me because I read it in one sitting again! Great timing too because I have an exam tomorrow that I didn't even study for. Great.
1,272 reviews7 followers
June 1, 2015
Mae,Cas, and Ellen make it to the Red Palace. Plans to get the palace working using craft-born power are in place, as are wedding arrangements. However, not everything is as it seems. Allerton and Sasha help Mae learn to use her powers. The Nix also "helps" Mae in unusual ways. This was such an emotional roller coaster with all that Mae deals with- you can't help being empathetic. Action, fears, strength, puzzles, and hope.... Great story.
Profile Image for Elizabeth Robbins.
496 reviews9 followers
July 8, 2015
So this story starts immediately after the giant cliffhanger in white Hart. Fast-paced and scary on a YA level (you'll feel it in your gut and won't be able to put it down, but it probably won't give you nightmares). This book doesn't end in a cliffhanger, but it still leaves you wanting more. Red Palace is a resolution to the events at the end of book one, wrapped up in a huge growth "opportunity" for Mae. The larger problems this group faces are as yet unresolved.
1 review
March 21, 2016
Okay the first book was fine but it was kind of predictable and a tad bit boring but in a strangely likable way. But this one was awesome. I thought about things I didn't think I would think about. It was one thing after another. An adventure I couldn't put down. I never finish a book in a single night but I couldn't help it with this one.
Profile Image for Julie Powell.
Author 72 books325 followers
August 1, 2016
Wow, another fabulous read in the series, I loved it.

Mae is now in the Red Palace, but what awaits her is a harrowing journey of twists and turns and surprises. Brilliant characters, plot and sense of place.

I don't give spoilers, so it's not easy to say much, however, this is a well-written fantasy...storytelling at its best.

Highly recommended.
Profile Image for william  Goodrow.
195 reviews2 followers
February 7, 2016
Red Palace

Worded nicely and very well written. I found myself enthralled as my reading progressed through this book. Definitely purchase this book.
7 reviews
February 17, 2016
Good read

Not as good as the first book,but still a real page Turner did not put this down till I had read it.
434 reviews6 followers
April 30, 2016
A very good sequel. The story was much small in scope but so very interesting to see more of how the world worked.
Profile Image for Geoff Tacher.
2 reviews
July 10, 2016
Very good, highly recommend this series to anyone....However, this book felt like more of a short story within the universe though.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.